Buffing wheel



Oct. 5, 1948. 5, 5. SMITH 2,450,454

BUFFING WHEEL Filed Sept. 18, 1947 v INVENTOR.

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Patented Oct. 5, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE BUFFING WHEEL Sheldon S. Smith, Sp1'ingfield-,-Mass.

Applications'eptember 18, 1947, Serial'No. 774.794-

2 Claims.

1. My invention relates to improvements inbuffing-wheels and consists-in the novel features, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described. Thedevice of :my invention is for use:

inpolishing metals and other: substances.

An object is to providean improved wheel which is strong and durable and economical in its manufacture.

The wheel enables the employment in itsconstruction of what has heretofore been practically wastefmaterial.

Flexible wheels have heretofore been made froma series of cotton-discs placed against each other; These wheelswhen worn down through use are -ca1ledzhubs-" and. are: usually discarded.

The principal object of my invention is directed to the provision of .1 a buffing: wheel construction which iss-characterized by layers or circular rowsofsections having relatively thick and thin portions with the sections being: arranged wherebyv the-bufiing wheel has-relatively thick and thin portions for more efficient bufling, cutting and abrading functions: I

Another obj ect is .toprovide a-laminated buffin wheel which is built up from radially pleated units, the units being formed from a plurality of annularly cut blanks.

A still'gfurther object isto provide a-device composed of:units folded aseindicated so as'zto provide pockets in the pleats .between the plies which receive and hold the buffing compound and also form air ducts assisting in keeping the wheel cool.

The object of my invention is to provide a bufilng wheel possessing superior qualities and having a firm central portion and a loose flexible peripheral portion, the body of the wheel being formed of two exterior discs, and a series of elements held therebetween.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bufiing wheel embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic edge view showing the relationship of certain sections in the wheel;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the section forming elements of the wheel;

Figs; 4, 5 and.6 .are..plan views showing: how:-

buffing wheels such as-cotton orother filamenrtous material. Any number ;of such .elements [may be used.-

The elements are folded upon themselves, as. shown in Fig. 4 ,to. provide a double thicknessand: are half circulanas shown;

Next, a portion of .the elementis folded over-so that a portion -fl of two thicknesses'overlies .apor-itionlll of. two thicknesses as shown inFig. 5e

Finally-ya portionll of four thicknesses overlies the portions .8:;.and.l0- as shown in Fig. 6;

According to the'folding method described, the element has a portion I2- atone sideincludinga eight thicknesses of material, a, portion atthe. opposite side thereof including; two thicknesses.

and an intermediate portion including four thicknesses all as: shown in Fig. 6.

If desired, theportion l2 of four thicknessesneed;1notbefolded again so as to overlie the.por.--

tions Brand-l0 asidescribed above.

Thesections are-disposedcentrallyof thewheel and are arranged in two superposed layers, each layer including circumferentially arranged sections. The portion [0 of one section of a layer is superposed on the thickest portion H of an adjacent section in the same layer.

The thickest portion H! of the sections of one layer overlie the superposed thin and thick portions [0 and ll of the layer of sections therebelow.

There may be as many layers of sections as desired and upper and lower end members such as I6 are provided at opposite sides of the superposed layers. Discs l6 serve as spacers between the upper and lower end members and between the layers.

The end members and sections of the layers are secured together by any suitable means such as by stitching indicated by [8 in Fig. 1 wherein lines of stitching extend transversely through the wheel and engage the component parts thereof.

Thus it will be seen that in the form shown, there are sufficient layers to provide alternating portions having 22 and 10 plies of material circumferentially spaced about the wheel. The

3 arrangement thus provides alternating thick and thin portions.

The assembled wheel shown in Fig. 1 is provided with a central arbor hole 20 which may be formed in the elements prior to forming into sections or it may be formed in the completed structure.

The wheel is clamped on an arbor by a clamping member in the usual manner and in such a way that it is rotated in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 1 and 8.

I have found that the arrangement of the sections as described provides relatively thick portions of the wheel which are spaced circumferentially of the wheel thereby to provide elliciency in abrading operations.

I have also found that by means of the wheel as arranged, more pulling power is provided since the wheel grabs more air than in loose buffers of the types heretofore known.

The buffer wheel of my invention provides a combination of cutting and polishing operations. The thickened portions perform a cutting operation and the thinned portions perform a polishing operation.

As the wheel is rotated in the direction of the arrows shown the portions of the sections are fanned out :by action of air which keeps the wheel cool, whereby due to the thick or heavy portions the wheel has a rapid abrading action. In other words, the outer raw edges of the layers form the peripheral face of the wheel.

I have discovered, too, that the relatively thin and thick portions circumferentially of the wheel provide circumferentially spaced thick and relatively rigid peripheral portions during rotation of the wheel which are adapted for more rapid abrasive action than prior art wheels while at the same time the portions of the wheel fan out for rapid cooling. This is accomplished by the novel folding of the sections and the relative disposition thereof shown and described.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A buffing wheel comprising in combination, superposed and centrally secured together layers of circumferentially arranged flexible sections, each of said sections including a folded disc having a forward two ply portion with a forward folded edge and an intermediate four ply section with a forward folded edge angularly and rearwardly disposed relative to the first edge and a rear eight ply portion with a forward folded edge angularly and rearwardly disposed relative to the second-named edge, the two ply portions of the sections of each layer superposed on the eight ply portions of adjacent sections and the eight ply portions of the sections of one layer superposed over the corresponding portions of the sections of the layer therebelow.

2. A buffing wheel for rotation in a certain direction comprising in combination, superposed secured together layers of circumferentially arranged disc-like flexible folded sections, each of said sections folded to provide forward two ply intermediate and four ply and rear eight ply portions with each portion having, a forward folded edge with the edges of the intermediate and rear portions angularly and progressively rearwardly disposed relative to the forward edge of the two ply portions, the intermediate, forward and rear portions of the sections adjacent the marginal edges thereof being unsecured and free for separating movements, the forward two ply portions of the sections of each layer being superposed on the rear eight ply portions of the sections adjacent thereto and the eight ply portions and two ply portions of the sections of an upper layer disposed over the eight pl portions of the sections of the layer therebelow.

SHELDON S. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,936,203 Neu et al Nov. 21, 1933 2,010,106 Pfohl Aug. 6, 1935 

